Cedar & Pine shaving okay?

[Cattalina]

I was wondering if it alright to use Cedar Chips or Pine shaving for the bottom of the cage, and in the play area? I don't subscribe to the paper so I don't have any newspaper around the house. I was using corn cob. Is this alright? Thanks!

[Dave007]

Cedar chips and pine shaving in a cage have a minute dust that can hurt any bird that has either item. Birds that flap around in the cage can easily circulate that dust. Breathing can become labored. Any droppings that fall can be easily hidden. Also, because droppings can be hidden, it's hard to see if the droppings are normal. Loose liquidy whitish droppings are hard to spot because those items absorb fluids.

Corn cob is also not recommended because it harbors germs and can be toxic. Most people eventually switch to plain newspaper or rolled sheets of white paper that supermarkets sell. Cedar chips and pine shaving aren't sold as bird products.<br><br>Post edited by: Dave007, at: 2009/10/23 04:33

[Cattalina]

Thank you for your response.

[judygram]

I use newspaper as do a lot of us and if you don't subscribe then maybe a neighbor or friend who does can save them for you, it really is the best thing to use and easily changed out.

[lovethatgrey]

Definitely please don't use any type of wood shavings or corncob bedding. These things also absorb alot of bacteria.

 

Perhaps consider going to your local public library and asking if they can give you their old newspapers.

[JillyBeanz]

Yes - newspaper all the way for me!! I also learned a good tip from Dave about lining the tray with wax paper and then putting the newspaper on top - so that when the paper gets wet, the water doesn't get onto the tray and damage it (Harvey particularly likes flicking water out of his bowl)!

[katana600]

While visiting with a bird rescue, there was a featherless parrot and the man there said it was from something toxic about the cedar chips. I also do not subscribe to the newspaper and went to a U-haul packing place to get two boxes of the plain sheets of newsprint. Thanks for the ideas to ask the library etc. for discarded issues. Cattalina thanks for bringing this up.

[Cattalina]

Thank you all for your help! I had no idea that Cedar chips were so bad for my Junior. They smell so good and I thought it would be a nice idea. Thanks for such great ideas about where I can get newspapers. I didn't even think of the Library, or even asking a my neighbors. Thank You once again!

[judygram]

And some of your neighbors would probably be glad to save them for you for they either throw them in the trash or have to take them for recycling, just tell them you are going to recycle them on the bottom of bird cages.

[JillyBeanz]

We don't subscribe - just asked about at work when we were bringing Harvey home and then had to ask them to stop - we have enough until he reaches 100!! :laugh: